Novotel Sharm El Sheikh

This was by far one of the worst hotel experiences our family has ever had.

During our stay, my husband was scratched multiple times by an aggressive stray cat on the hotel grounds. He suffered eight scratches, and the doctor who examined him recommended that he receive emergency rabies vaccination immediately.

The hotel had no doctor on site. We had to insist that they arrange one, and even then they did not assist us with transportation to the hospital. We had to find and pay for a taxi ourselves. None of our hospital or medical expenses were covered.

After reviewing the CCTV footage and confirming the cat incident, the hotel’s solution was to offer us one dinner at the à la carte restaurant, access to the spa, and the cost of the day the incident happened. Considering the seriousness of the incident, this was unbelievable and felt insulting.

After the rabies vaccination, my husband developed spasms and fever, and his CRP levels rose ten times higher than normal. This was the worst holiday we have ever had.

We asked for a refund for our hotel stay, but they refused completely. The manager, Musa, mocked the situation by offering us the spa, the à la carte restaurant, and only the cost of the day the incident happened. Human life should not be this cheap. I would have preferred never to stay at a hotel like this.

The cat was reportedly placed in a cage for observation, but no one ever contacted us to inform us of the outcome or whether the animal was healthy, despite the stress and uncertainty our family was left with.

Families with children should think very carefully before staying here. Aggressive stray cats roam freely around the restaurants, outdoor dining areas, and guest facilities.

To make matters worse, there were mice right outside our room, and we have photographs showing this. The area outside our room appeared to be a place where cats regularly gathered because of the rodent problem. We were genuinely worried about opening our door and allowing our child to step outside.

The hotel feeds these stray cats, yet the staff could not tell us whether they were vaccinated or monitored by a veterinarian.

The following morning, despite an official incident report being prepared, the hotel manager dismissed our concerns by saying, “This is a pet-friendly hotel.” This response showed a complete misunderstanding of what “pet-friendly” actually means.

A pet-friendly hotel is a hotel that welcomes guests travelling with their own vaccinated and supervised pets. It does not mean allowing unowned stray animals to roam freely around guests, restaurants, and children’s areas, especially as a way of dealing with a rodent problem.

This incident completely ruined our holiday, caused significant emotional distress, and resulted in unexpected medical treatment and expenses.

We sincerely hope the hotel takes guest safety seriously in the future. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend this hotel, especially to families travelling with children. Anyone planning to stay here should think ten times before booking.

Great experience & staff! I liked the staff and they’re very friendly

Sheehan, thanks to the waiter, benevolent, smiling, he does his job well, СПАСИБО ТЕбе , Sheehan. ♥️💋🔥